Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) has introduced the Poverty Statistics Enhancement Act, a bill aimed at changing how poverty is measured in the United States. The legislation would require the U.S. Census Bureau to add an additional metric to its annual poverty reports, taking into account not only wages and cash benefits but also federal non-cash assistance such as food stamps, Medicaid, and housing subsidies.
In an op-ed published in National Review, Kennedy argued that current Census Bureau metrics provide an incomplete picture of poverty by excluding non-cash benefits. He wrote: “Over the past 50 years, the federal government’s welfare spending has increased by 765 percent, yet the percentage of Americans living below the poverty line hasn’t budged. Roughly 12 percent of Americans lived in poverty in 1974. Today, it’s roughly 11 percent.
“Is America really that bad at bringing people out of poverty?”
Kennedy continued: “If you include the non-cash benefits and cash payments (from the person’s earnings and from the federal government), the actual percentage of Americans with incomes at or below the poverty line is only 1 percent.”
He explained his legislative proposal: “Last week, I introduced the Poverty Statistics Enhancement Act to require the Census Bureau to include the [Congressional Budget Office’s] methodology in its reporting on poverty in America. This would not eliminate the Census Bureau’s current narrow poverty definition, but it would ensure that Congress can consider both numbers when deciding how to improve welfare programs in America. . . . When the nation is more than $38 trillion in debt, we cannot afford to let misleading survey numbers dupe the country into more costly, fraud-prone welfare programs.”
Kennedy represents Louisiana in the United States Senate and operates offices across several cities within his state to assist constituents with federal matters. He leads initiatives for veterans, farmers, small businesses and national security while maintaining contact with residents through public events and newsletters according to his official website. Kennedy also chairs the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and serves on other key committees including Appropriations, Budget and Energy and Natural Resources.
The full text of Kennedy’s proposed legislation is available online. Video discussions between Kennedy and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as well as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick regarding Census Bureau data are also accessible.
